Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Director Sells 885 Shares

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 2.0%

NASDAQ:COST traded down $18.85 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $942.24. The company had a trading volume of 2,421,922 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,175,617. The firm has a market capitalization of $417.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.40, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 0.88. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $997.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $970.33. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after buying an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after buying an additional 107,775 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators remain constructive on Costco’s outlook, citing durable membership economics, digital gains, and global expansion as reasons the stock could outperform. Costco vs. Target: Which Discount Retailer Holds More Promise?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also suggests Costco may be a defensive winner if the market weakens, with some strategists naming it among stocks that could hold up well in a correction. Costco, Exxon, and 17 More Winners if the Market Drops
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focused on Costco’s cash generation, with speculation that its growing cash pile could support another special dividend later in 2026. Costco’s Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent sales commentary remains strong, with reports highlighting 12% sales growth and 92% membership renewals, reinforcing Costco’s core operating strength. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple local and lifestyle stories about new stores and membership deals in Pensacola are mainly promotional and do not materially change the investment outlook. Costco is opening 2 new locations this week. See where
• Negative Sentiment: One piece of competitive coverage says Sam’s Club is making a move Costco may not match, which could raise concern that Costco may be less willing to pursue certain growth tactics. Sam’s Club just made a big move Costco won’t consider

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.